Process for fractionally distilling hydrocarbons



April 23, 1929. R. T. POLLOCK PROCESS FOR FRACTIONALLY DISTILLING HYDHOCARBONS Original Filed April 11. 1921 when),

F er? Pol/06K Patented Apr. 23, 1929.

UNITED STAT ROBERT POLLOCK, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 UNIVERSAL OIL PRODUCTS COMPANY; OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

PROCESS FOR FRACTIONALLY DISTILLING HYDROCARBONS.

Application filcd- April 11, 1921, Serial No. 460,527. Renewed September 27, 1926.

This invention relates to improvements in a process and apparatus for fractionally dising hydrocarbon oils and refers more par- J x to a process which fractional dis- 'ition n'iay be pl'mlllCGCl. iniong the lient objects of the invention to provide a process in which the oilafter vaporization is rectified in the dephlegmating column by being brought into heat conductive contact withdistillate returned from the receiver whereby the distillate may be redi tilled and the vapors produced therefrom condensed and collected separately from the vapors in the initial vaporizing chamber; to provide aprocess in which dilierent distillates may be obtained from the oil undergoing treatment, and one wherein the boiling point of the distillate may be rendered very lo v, and to provide an apparatus for carrying out the process. v p

The single figure is a side elcvational view with parts in section and parts broken away, of an apparatus suitable for carrying out my process. I g

' The raw oil is introduced from any convenient source through the inlet pipe 1 and charged by means of the pump 2 through a line 3 controlled by a valve 4 and introduced into the top of the dcphlegmator 5 where it serves as a dephlegmating medium flowing in opposed direction to the vapors which rise in thedephlegmator and being brought in intimate contact therewith, The raw oil with its condensate content is drawn oil' through the line 6 controlled by valve 7 and intro duced to the heating coils 8 through the line 9. The heating coils are mounted in the furnace 10 and are preferably heated by means of gas burners 11. The oil heated to cracking temperature is passed from the transfer l'ine12 to a vaporizing chamber 13 where the released vapors are taken oil through the vapor line 14:, controlled by a valve 15 and the residual product collecting therein drawn 5 oil as desired through the line 16 controlled by a valve 17. The partially spent gases from the furnace pass out through the flue 18 into the stack 19. In their travel, their heat may be utilized in connection withthcvapor chain her or a secondstill 20 surrounding the dcphlegmator. The vapors passing through the dephleginator are subjected to the dephlegniating action of the raw oil as exnsual liquid draw oil line as shown.

plained and the uncondensed portion will pass off through the line 21 to a water condenser 22 and be collected as distillate in the receiver 23. i This receiver is equipped with a pressure relief pipe 24 controlled by a valve 25, liquid drawoil' pipe 26 controlled by a valve 27 and a second drawoif pipe 28regu lated by a valve 29 which conducts a regulatcd portion of the distillate back to the i still surrounding the dephlegmator and there introduces the heated distillate in the shell 20, permitting the distillate to completely surround the dephlegmator 5. This distillate being cooler than the vapors rising in the dephlegmator will assist the raw oil in rectifying or refluxing the vapors while at the same time, the heat from the vapors will be transferred to the returned distillate and thelatter will be redistilled and a substantial portion of the distillate collected. The

vaporized portion of the returned distillate municating directly with a vacuum pump 37,

whereby, if desired, a vacuum may be imposed on the second receiver,therebyincreasmg the distillation which may be produced in the second still 20. This vacuum may be imposed when desired 1n order to produce an increased amount of distillate or to regulate, to a certain extent, the dephlegmating action imposed on the vapors in the dephlegmator 5. The receiver 32 is also provided with the The distillate maintained in the still 20 surrounding the dephlegmator may be permitted to volatilize rapidly by the imposition of a vac uum on the receiver 32.

The unvaporized portions of the distillate returned to the still 20 for the purpose of ac- I quiring the heat from the vapors in the dc phleginator and at the same time, serving as the cooling medium the rectifying ordetihlegmating column are drawn ofl through aline 38 controlled by a valve 39 and may be recharged through the pump 40 and line 41 controlled by avalve 42 to the charging line 9 by means of which the liquid distillate is rporizing cl amber, in the'reai recharged to the heating zone for retreatment. On the other hand, t it is not desired to recharge thisdistillate to the heating zone,

it may be drawn off through a line 43 com trolled by a valve 44.

By introducing a mid-continent gas oil of approximately 32 degrees Baum gravity, and heating the same to a temperature of from 700 to 800 degrees F. in the heating tubes and permitting the same to vapor ze in the vacr subjecting action, a good the, vapors LO dephleginating' I quality distillate oi approznmatelv to .oil, which comprises he.

etO

uniform characteri oil, which homprises.

c 40% of the original charge may he procured b collectin these deihle 'mated vane-rs.

J b c; L

15y returning a port n of the tistillate and redistillation of a substantial part, yields oi higher quality distill rte and havi more in the primary receiver may beobtainod. I claim as my invention:

1. The process of d' li hydrocarbon n'g oil under craclting conditions 01 temperature and pressure in'a coil, in. passing the heated oil to a vapor chamber wnejre'vaporiza 'on occurs, in introducing the vaprrsto adephlegmator, in condensing and'eollecting the uncondensed vapors passing from said depilegmaior provide a pressure distillate, in returning s: distillate um zone oi redis ation surroui ing the dcphlcginatcr and n which zone'the distillate is heated by heat absorbed from the vapors passing through the dephle 'ma tor and from PTOClllQtSOfli combustion from the cracking still, and in discharging tpr condensation and collection the va 101s in said zone of redistillatiou. I s

2. The process of dist lling hydrocarbon ,ating oil under cracking conditions oftemperature and pressure atmospheric.

V ducing-the vapors to a dephlegmaton'in convide a pressure distill 1 rdistillateis ieated'by heat a heating zone, passing the oil 'zone wherein conversion occur in a coil, in passing the heated oil to a vapor chamber wherevaporization occurs, in Introdensing andcollecting the uncondi L. v, pors passing fro-insaid dephl to to prov nin said r surroundvhich zonethe 7 al sorbed from the vaporspassing through the dephlegm'ator distillate to azone of 1' 111g the dephlegmatora i and from products of combustion from the cracking still, in discharging for condensation and collection the vapors in said zoneo'f JGtllStlllfitlOD, and in maintaining said zone of redistillation under a pressure lcssthan A process for;convertinghycrocarhon o1ls,"compr sing subgecting the oil to conressure. in

version conditions of heat an p to a reacting s. passing the evolved vapors to a dephlegmator maintaining a superatmospheric pressure in the heat;

ing "zone, reacting zone and" de'phlegmator,

the dephlegmatcd cs than that produced 1,71o,ees

in condensing and collecting the dephlegmated vapors, and redistilhng pressure distillate under a reduced pressure by the heat givenup bythe vapors passing through the dephlegmator. 7

l. A process for treating hydrocarbon 011, comprising passingthe'oil in a stream 0t restricted cross-sectional area through a heating zone wherein it is subject d to conversion conditions of temperature and pressure, c s

charging the heated oil from said stream into an enlarged reacting zone wherein conversion occu s passing the evolved vapors to a do phlegmator wherein supcratmospheric pres sure is maintained, condensing nd collecting vapors, red willing pressure distillate under a reduced pressure by utilizing'the heat given up by the vapors passing through the dephlegmator, and returning the unvaporized pressure distill ate to said stream forre-trea lment.

A continuousprocess for treating hydrocarhonoil, comprising passing the oil in a s eain'of restricted cross-sectional area througlraheating zone wherein it is highly heated, transferring the highly heatedoil frouisaid stream into a reacting zone wherein conversion occurs, passing the evolved vapors to a dep-hlegmator, condensing and collecting the dephlegmated vapors, maintaining ,4

a substantial superatmospheric pressure on the oil undergoing conversion and the vaiorsin said dephlegmator, and're-distilling pressure distillate under a reduced pressure by the utilization of the heat giveifup by the vapors passing through the dephlegmator. 6. A continuous process for treating hydrocarbon oil, comprising passing the oil in a stream of. restricted cross-sectional I area through a coil in a heating zone wherein it is highly heated, transferring "the highly heated oil from said stream into a reacting zonecwherein conversion occurs,-passing the evolved vapors to a dephlegmator, condens-V mg and collecting the dephlegmatd'vapors,

wherein conversion occurs, passing the a evolved vapors to a dephlegmator, condensing and collecting the dephlegm'atedx vapors,

maintaining a substantial superatmospheric pressure on the oilundergoing conversion and va ors assin throu h the de hle mator p p b b b 7 and returning reflux condensate from the dephlegmator together with raw oil and un vaporized pressure distillate to the inlet side of said coil to be passed therethrough for retreatment. r

8. A continuous process for treating hydrocarbon oil, comprising passing the oil in a stream of restricted cross-sectional area through a coil in a heating zone wherein it is highly heated, discharging the highly heated oil into a reacting zone wherein conversion occurs, passing the evolved vapors to a dephlegmator maintained under superatmospheric pressure, condensing and collecting the dephlegmated vapors, re-distilling pressure distillate under a reduced pressure by utilizing the heat given up by the vapors passing through the dephlegmator, passing the unvaporized pressure distillate under a mechanical pressure to the inlet side of said coil to be passed therethrough together with the charging stock for re-treatment.

9. A process for cracking hydrocarbonoils comprising subjecting the oil to cracking conditions of temperature and pressure in a heating zone, delivering the heated 011 to a react on zone, passing vapors evolved from the 'oil to a dephl'egmating zone wherein the heavier fractlons are condensed, forming refiuxcondensate to be recycled through the heating zone,subjecting vapors issuing from said dephlegmating zone to final condensation, introducing regulated quantities of the resulting distillate to a vaporizing zone wherein substantial vaporization of such distillate is effected, returning reflux condensate from said dephlegmating zone to said heating zone, and causing the same in passage from said dcphleginating zone to said heating zone to flow through a closed conduit disposed Within said vaporizing zone in Which substantial vaporization of said distillate is effected.

ROBERT T. POLLOGK. 

